Summary
Disparities
Risks
Researchers who conducted a large study published in the journal Chest report that reproductive factors, such as early age at menopause and first childbirth, are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.
- Women who do not smoke are at a greater risk of lung cancer than male non-smokers.
- Sex hormones may mediate these gender disparities in lung cancer incidence, but the evidence showing an association between sex hormone-related reproductive factors and lung cancer risk has been contradictory.
- A large study involving more than 273,000 women, however, did find an association between reproductive factors, such as age at menopause and first childbirth, and lung cancer risk.
- Experts say the study underscores the importance of considering reproductive factors while screening for lung cancer.
While smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, women are at a higher riskTrusted Source of lung cancer incidence than men after accounting for smoking status.
Scientists say that hormones may contribute to these sex differences in susceptibility to lung cancer.
However, evidence supporting a role for factors associated with reproductive health, especially those involving changes in sex hormone levels, in the causation of lung cancer has been inconsistent in the past.
Now, researchers who conducted a large study published in the journal Chest report that reproductive factors, such as early age at menopause and first childbirth, are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.
